Arraignment postponed for Prunedale man charged in Aptos homicide

SANTA CRUZ - A Monterey County man charged with the shooting death of Fernando Martin Mendoza-Avila in Aptos last week appeared in court Monday morning but did not enter a plea.

His arraignment is expected to be held today, when all three suspects will be in court.

Alfredo Alanis Garcia of Prunedale was arrested Wednesday night, several hours after Mendoza-Avila was shot and killed as he walked along the Freedom Boulevard overpass of Highway 1. Mendoza-Avila and a friend were walking around 6 p.m. when a car drove past them and someone inside fired shots. Mendoza-Avila, 21, was struck and killed.

Garcia, who is alleged to have been driving the car, was arrested in Watsonville when officers spotted the suspect car and conducted a traffic stop.

Christopher Herrera, also of Prunedale, and a third co-defendant, 20-year-old Rafael Barron of Las Lomas, referred to in court documents as Isaias Zamora Barron, were arrested Friday.

All three men are charged with first-degree murder, commission of a crime in furtherance of a gang and use of a firearm in commission of a felony. Herrera, 21, faces an additional charge of personally discharging a firearm from a vehicle but prosecutor Jason Gill said Monday he could not confirm Herrera is the suspected shooter because of the ongoing investigation.

Garcia is being represented by attorney Brian Worthington, whom his family hired over the weekend. Worthington said he couldn't say anything about the case yet as he hasn't reviewed all the evidence. He said his client plans to plead not guilty to all charges and deny any special allegations.

Deputies have said Herrera, Barron and Garcia were smoking marijuana in Garcia's Honda Wednesday evening and were on their way to Watsonville when they came across Mendoza-Avila and his friend. According to deputy April Skalland of the Sheriff's Office, it's believed that the suspects perceived the victim as a gang member though it's not been confirmed whether he really was. Initially the Sheriff's Office said the victim and Mendoza-Avila were rival gang members.